


Department of Broken Hearts

by ereshai



Series: Various Prompt Fills [36]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Post, Break Up, Gen, Muggle/Wizard Relations, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-08-10 02:30:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7826755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ereshai/pseuds/ereshai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Wizard-Muggle relationships end badly, the Department of Personal Relationships steps in. After all, the Statute of Secrecy exists for a reason.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Department of Broken Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a [tumblr post](http://ereshai.tumblr.com/post/130005859991/immlass-curryalley-ok-so-we-know-that-some) I came across all the way back in 2015, lol.

The man at the door was dressed oddly. Some sort of eccentric, then; maybe he was looking for signatures on a petition, or trying to raise funds for some obscure cause. Funny, she’d always thought of eccentrics as older people. One never could judge by appearances - a lesson she desperately needed to learn, and soon. Look at her latest bout of bad judgment, and all because of a pretty face.

“A moment of your time?” he said jovially, bringing her out of her thoughts.

“Now’s really not a good time.” Marietta’s revelation of last night was still sinking in. She was half convinced she’d imagined it. Really, who believed in magic? But the state of her living room wasn’t a hallucination - yes, she’d been wanting to paint it another color, and yes, it was an improvement, but…

Someone who could do that, make a change like that at the drop of a hat… Who knew what else they could do? Marietta’s pretty face couldn’t make up for that. She was debating contacting the authorities. There had to be someone who would take her seriously.

“Now is the only time, unfortunately. I’m here on behalf of the Muggle Liaison Office. Department of Personal Relationships.”

“Excuse me? Muggle? Wait, is this about Marietta?” Marietta hadn’t told her much - she hadn’t let Marietta tell her much, admittedly - but the word Muggle had been mentioned.

“Exactly. We received Miss Edgecombe’s owl this morning and I came over as soon as I could. I knew you’d appreciate getting this all settled over the weekend. The disorientation will wear off by the time Monday morning rolls around. You won’t miss a day of work.”

“Owl? Disorientation? What-”

“May I come in? The doorstep really isn’t the place.”

She really shouldn’t let a strange man in her home - and he was strange on so many levels - but he was an official of some sort.

The man - he hadn’t introduced himself, had he? - walked in as she stepped aside. “Would you prefer the kitchen or the living room?”

“Living room?” The situation was made all the more strange when he unerringly turned and went down the hall to the living room. How had he known?

“Oh, I do like this color. You were right about it opening up the area. Feels much less cramped.” He took a stick out of an inside pocket in his jacket. No, not a stick. A wand. He was one of _them_. He gave a wave of his wand and a tray of tea appeared on the table. “Tea?’

She ignored the offer. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave. I don’t want your kind here. I’ll be contacting the authorities, and they’ll sort you out.”

He waved his wand again and the tea tray vanished. “Obliviation spells have advanced so much in the last decade. We’re able to target very specific memories and replace them with plausible alternatives. It causes much less mental damage, especially with repeated use. The improvement is astounding.”

“Did you hear me? I don’t want you here.”

“But they aren’t perfect. With repeated use comes a marked rise in hostility when the subject of the Obliviated memory comes up again. In your case, magic.”

“What are you going on about?”

“Well, when you broke it off with Terry Boot - lovely chap, we share a table at lunch occasionally - you were regretful and actually very understanding that we had to erase certain memories. When the disaster with Padma Patil occurred, you were rather fearful and, frankly, rude, but ultimately you understood the necessity. Now you’re threatening to go to the Muggle authorities, which is exactly the reason the Statute of Secrecy exists. The next time could end in violence. I’m afraid you’re no longer eligible for the exception clause in the Statute of Secrecy. I’ll be placing a modified trace spell on you, which will allow our office to inform any witches and wizards who come into your life of your ineligibility. You do seem to attract them, don’t you?”

“You won’t be working any magic on me!” She turned and reached for the phone.

“Obliviate.”

She looked down at the phone in her hand. Who had she been about to call? Perhaps Marietta? It hadn’t been well done of her to break things off after Marietta had helped her paint her living room. At the very least she owed her an apology. Better not, though. She didn’t want Marietta thinking she wanted to get back together.

Perhaps it was time to stop dating people she’d met through her exes.


End file.
